Valentine’s Day: Show Your Dogs You Love Them
With Valentine’s Day coming up, you want to show your love to everyone important to you — not just your sweetheart. Of course, your cute canines are on the short list for affection — and we have a few ideas to make their Valentine’s Day special. Here are 5 ways to show your dogs you love them.
Grooming Dogs spend a lot of time licking themselves. They do this mostly to keep themselves clean, get rid of parasites and to remove chemical irritants from their coats that they picked up from our environment. It’s a lot of work to keep that coat shiny, so why not give your dog a break? Show your pups some love by doing a good grooming for them. You can do it yourself or make an appointment to see a professional. The American Society to the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals recommends having them groomed every three months.
Get a Checkup As humans, we go to the doctor regularly — even when we’re feeling OK — just to make sure everything is in working order. Dogs need the same kind of routine. They can’t tell you they have aches or pains or even if they’re feeling anything unusual. Veterinarians are trained to see and feel things on our pets that we can’t. It’s worth taking them to the vet to make sure nothing is wrong and for peace of mind. The Humane Society recommends taking your dog to the vet at least once a year.
Keep Your Dog Fit Every dog owner wants their pups to stay active and healthy for as long as possible. Just like humans, they need to keep their weight down for longer, healthier lives. Talk to your vet about how much food your dog should be getting every day. Keeping an eye on how much they eat and taking them out for walks and giving them toys to keep them active can help keep them maintain a healthy weight to prevent health problems like arthritis, heart disease and diabetes.
Play Dates and Dog Parks Dogs are pack animals — instinctively, they are drawn to other dogs for socializing and playtime. Not only is it fun for them, but getting used to people and animals outside your family helps train them to be calm and cooperative outside of the home. While your love and affection is important to keep them happy, show them a little bit more love by taking them out to play with other dogs.
Creature Comforts Just like humans, dogs love a good soft toy or blanket to cuddle up with at night. Not all dogs do this, but it’s not unusual for some to get attached to items to bring them comfort. Give them a little bit of love by getting them a new comfy pet bed or a new cushion to make their house a little more cozy.
However you decide to honor your dog on Valentine’s Day, The Lakeside Collection has ideas and products keep your pup feeling loved and happy. If you haven’t done it already, check out our Paws and Kisses Pet Photo Contest and show us just how lovable your pet is!
